Hand Held Products Quick Check 200 Series User manual

Quick Check® 200 Series

User’s Guide

Disclaimer

Hand Held Products, Inc. (“Hand HeldProducts”) reserves the right to make

changes in specifications and other information contained in this document

without prior notice, and the reader should in all cases consult Hand Held

Products to determine whether any such changes have been made. The

information in this publication does not represent a commitment on the part of

Hand Held Products.

Hand Held Products shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or

omissions contained herein; nor for incidental or consequential damages

resulting from the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.

This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. All

rights are reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced,

or translated into another language without the prior written consent of Hand

Held Products.

Web Address: www.handheld.com

Microsoft

®

Visual C++

®

, Windows

®

95, Windows

®

98, Windows

®

2000, Windows

CE

®

, and Windows NT

®

are either registered trademarks or trademarks of

Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or

registered trademarks of other companies and are the property of their respective

owners.

The CE mark on the product indicates that the system has been tested

to and conforms with the provisions noted within the 89/336/EEC

Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive and the 73/23/EEC Low Voltage

Directive.

For further information please contact:

Hand Held Products, Inc.

Nijverheidsweg 9

5627 BT Eindhoven

The Netherlands

Hand Held Products shall not be liable for use of our product with equipment (i.e.,

power supplies, personal computers, etc.) that is not CE marked and does not

comply with the Low Voltage Directive.

Statement of Agency Compliance

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the

following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and

(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that

may cause undesired operation.

FCC Class A Compliance Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A

digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed

to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the

equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates,

uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in

accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio

communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to

cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the

interference at his own expense.

Caution: Any changes or modifications made to this device that are not

expressly approved by Hand Held Products may void the user's authority to

operate the equipment.

Note: To maintain compliance with FCC Rules and Regulations, cables

connected to this device must be shielded cables, in which the cable shield

wire(s) have been grounded (tied) to the connector shell.

Canadian Notice

This equipment does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions as

described in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of

Communications. (ICES-003)

Le present appareil numerique n'emet pas de bruits radioelectriques depassant

les limites applicables aux appareils numeriques de la classe A prescrites dans

le Reglement sur le brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le ministere des

Communications du Canada. (ICES-003)

i

Table of Contents

1. About This Manual..................................................................... 1

Conventions........................................................................................................ 1

QC200 “Low Battery” Warning ........................................................................1

2. Overview...................................................................................... 3

Unpacking .......................................................................................................... 4

Charging the Battery.......................................................................................... 4

Command Code “Quick Start” ..........................................................................5

3. Detailed Operation...................................................................... 7

Using the QC200................................................................................................ 9

Power ON/OFF..................................................................................................9

Reflectance Scale Calibration.......................................................................... 10

Initial Power Up Default Settings ....................................................................10

4. Configuration/Programming.................................................... 13

Codes/Symbology Options................................................................................ 13

“Application”/Model Options.......................................................................... 16

Model Selections: ..................................................................................... 17

“Tests” Options................................................................................................ 17

“Config.” Options............................................................................................ 19

5. Symbol Testing & Scan Results................................................ 21

Test Result Details............................................................................................ 23

Dimensional Parameters.......................................................................... 23

Reflectance Parameters............................................................................ 25

Format Parameters .................................................................................. 26

6. Printer Printout Samples.......................................................... 29

7. Special Functions ..................................................................... 33

Reflectometer Mode.......................................................................................... 33

Command Code Programming......................................................................... 33

8. Quick Check Maintenance....................................................... 37

Battery Charging..............................................................................................37

Scanner Tip Cleaning.......................................................................................37

Reflectance Calibration Page Replacement..................................................... 37

Troubleshooting................................................................................................ 38

ii

9. Single Scan To Result (SSTR).................................................. 39

10. Printer Information.................................................................. 41

Saving Data...................................................................................................... 41

Reviewing printouts.......................................................................................... 41

Using a printer ................................................................................................. 44

Print your work ................................................................................................ 44

Save data when a printer is not connected....................................................... 45

Review data from the last scan:........................................................................ 45

Print or delete stored data: .............................................................................. 45

Stop printing..................................................................................................... 46

Using the QCP and QCHSP............................................................................. 46

Setup the QCP or QCHSP:............................................................................... 47

Install or replace the QCP or QCHSP paper roll:........................................... 47

Remove ribbon cartridge from the QCP or QCHSP........................................ 49

Connect the QCP or QCHSP to the Quick Check............................................ 50

Perform a QCP or QCHSP self-test:................................................................ 50

Troubleshooting the QCP or QCHSP .............................................................. 50

Turn on and off the QCSSP.............................................................................. 52

Setup the QCSSP.............................................................................................. 52

Install or replace the QCSSP paper roll:......................................................... 52

Perform a QCSSP self-test ............................................................................... 53

Troubleshooting the QCSSP............................................................................. 53

11. Customer Support..................................................................... 57

Obtaining Factory Service ...............................................................................57

Online Product Service and Repair Assistance........................................58

Technical Assistance ........................................................................................ 58

Online Technical Assistance..................................................................... 59

Limited Warranty .............................................................................................59

1

1. About This Manual

This manual contains information on the Quick Check

®

200 Series.

• Quick Start Command Code

• Detailed Operation

• Configuration / Programming

• Symbol Testing / Scan Results

• Printer Printouts

• Special Functions

• Quick Check Maintenance

• Single Scan to Result (SSTR)

Conventions

This manual uses several special symbols to refer to the controls on the

instrument. The following table shows the symbols and their descriptions.

Symbol Description

POWER or Scroll [<>] or

Select

Represents a button on the Quick Check

unit

-Specs- or OK-to-Scan Shows the LED display on the Quick

Check unit

♦

Indicates steps to follow to perform a

procedure

QC200 “Low Battery” Warning

The Quick Check

®

200 Series dynamically checks the condition of its battery

when turned on and during menu cycles. If any test falls below a specified limit,

the LCD will show “Low Battery” (and the unit “beeps” five times) as a warning

that the battery’s charge may be deteriorating. The QC200’s microprocessor

“sets” a system “flag” or “pointer” that indicates a degraded condition was

measured for that particular test. With this “flag” set, further cycling of the menu

2

or attempts to scan will automatically bring about additional “Low Battery”

indications.

This testing sequence has a power drain than normal scan or single menu

functions. This protects the user by insuring a low battery indication before total

unit power failure occurs, thus preserving proper unit operation. It is possible for

an intermittent “false” low to be detected and reported due to variations in battery

condition, temperature, component efficiency and rapid cycle time. When “Low

Battery” is indicated, the operator should turn their QC200 off, allow one or two

minutes for the battery to recover and then turn it back on. This sequence clears

the Low Battery “flag” or “pointer”. If the “Low Battery” indication returns

immediately on power up, then the unit should be recharged. If not, the QC200

can continue to be used.

The QC200 can be recharged before the warning is seen. Alternately, it can be

left connected to the charger when not in use. To extend battery life, battery

manufacturers recommend you fully charge the unit, use it till the “Low Battery”

indication is seen repeatedly, and then fully recharge before continued use.

3

2. Overview

The Quick Check

®

200 Series is one of the Hand Held Products family of Quick

Check bar code quality assurance devices. The Quick Check

®

200 Series is fully

portable and compatible with all major bar code symbologies. It is effectively two

instruments in one, both an easy-to-use Pass/Fail quick tester and a powerful

measuring tool for detailed testing and analysis of those same symbols.

Testing criteria within the Quick Check

®

200 Series is based on the American

National Standard X3.182-1990 “Bar Code Print Quality Guideline.” The Quick

Check family of bar code verifiers was designed specifically to fully implement

this guideline guaranteeing symbol compliance to the standard. They provide a

baseline in measurement accuracy against which all verifiers, new and old,

should be judged.

The QC200 series determines print quality, wide to narrow ratios, print contrast

and reflectance parameters, decodes and verifies character format as called for

by application specifications. The quality information from the Quick Check

®

200

Series is presented through an easy to read liquid crystal display (LCD), light

emitting diodes (LEDs), audible tones and through its optional accessory printer.

The knowledge gained using the Quick Check

®

200 Series measurement modes

is invaluable in educating the user about the critical optical characteristics of bar

code symbols.

The Quick Check

®

200 Series can verify the quality of:

• EAN/UPC family of symbols with or without addendum

• Code 39 with or without check character

• Interleaved 2 of 5 with or without check character

• Codabar/USS Codabar with or without check character

• Code 128 with all modes and characters displayed

• MSI Code

• Code 16K

• IATA 2 of 5

• Regular 2 of 5

4

Unpacking

When you first receive your Quick Check

®

200 Series unit, you should carefully

unpack it. Before attempting to use the instrument, inspect the contents of the

package for any shipping damage. If there is evidence of shipping damage,

please keep ALL packing materials and contact the delivery carrier AS SOON AS

POSSIBLE for claim procedure. Confirm that you have the following items:

QC200 Series model number ordered.

AC Charger

User’s Guide

Manual Pack with:

Test Symbols

Warranty Card

Gauge Ruler

“X” Dimension Ruler

Please fill out the Warranty Card immediately. Also make a note of the serial

number of the unit and the date purchased.

Charging the Battery

NOTE: The battery you received with your Quick Check

®

200 unit may be

discharged. Prior to initial use, the batteries should be charged for at least six (6)

hours. The Quick Check

®

200 unit is designed to operate only using the supplied

NiCad rechargeable battery pack. It is not intended to be powered directly from

an adapter or AC outlet. The Quick Check

®

200 Series verifier is designed to

make maximum use of its battery power. As a result, the unit will operate for a

minimum of one (1) hour on a properly charged battery pack.

!!! WARNING!!!

DO NOT CONNECT YOUR QUICK CHECK TO ITS CHARGER OR PRINTER

UNLESS A BATTERY PACK IS INSTALLED. TO DO SO WILL DAMAGE THE

UNIT AND VOID ITS WARRANTY!! ALL UNITS HAVE HAD A PACK

INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE.

USE ONLY A HAND HELD PRODUCTS SUPPLIED NICAD TYPE

RECHARGEABLE BATTERY PACK. USE OF OTHER PACKS OR BATTERIES

AND ATTEMPTS TO RECHARGE THESE BATTERIES COULD CAUSE THE

BATTERIES TO EXPLODE, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE UNIT AND

POSSIBLE PERSONAL INJURY!! DAMAGE CAUSED BY ATTEMPTS TO

RECHARGE OTHER THAN THE SPECIFIED HAND HELD PRODUCTS QC200

5

SERIES BATTERY PACK WILL VOID ANY AND ALL QUICK CHECK

®

200

SERIES WARRANTIES.

To charge the batteries:

1. Plug the AC charger into the power jack on the end of the Quick Check unit.

2. Plug the AC charger power unit into an appropriate VAC wall outlet.

3. Charge the batteries for a minimum of six (6) hours.

After allowing the proper battery charge time, your Quick Check will be ready for

operation.

If you experience any problems during this set up procedure, carefully review the

above steps and try again. If you still have problems, contact your dealer or

Hand Held Products for assistance.

Command Code “Quick Start”

The Quick Check

®

200 Series is a complete, self-contained handheld bar code

verifier. Though we recommend you become thoroughly familiar with the device

and this manual before use, those familiar with bar code verification can easily

set-up and use the QC200 within a matter of minutes (after it has been unpacked

and initially charged) following the next steps:

1. Carefully unpack and inspect the unit. (See section titled UNPACKING for

details)

2. Plug the QCAC charger into the QC200 and an AC wall outlet and charge

the unit for a minimum of six hours. (See sectional titled CHARGING THE

BATTERY for details)

3. After charging, turn the unit on by pressing and releasing the POWER

button. You should hear four beeps indicating the unit is ready.

4. Next, select one of the following pre-printed “Quick Start” Command Codes

appropriate for your use of the QC200, carefully place the tip of the QC200

on the Command Code of choice and scan the code.

5. The unit will respond with four beeps and return to the start up, ready to

scan state.

6. You have now totally programmed your QC200 and are ready to scan your

sample codes. After each scan, the custom LCD display will show decode,

symbology type, PCS or ANSI grade, bar growth/shrinkage indication and

any parameter areas where errors exist. If the code has passed all tests,

one beep will be heard and the green LED will flash. If errors have been

found, three beeps will be heard, the red LED will flash and one or more of

the parameter areas will be lit on the LCD (DIM, REF and /or FMT) to show

in what test criteria area(s) the fault exists.

Detailed information on proper scanning techniques and unit use can be found

throughout this manual. If you have any problems during your “Quick Start,”

6

please refer to the rest of this manual or call Hand Held Products’ Customer

Support.

NOTE: Display Orientation (Right Handed vs. Left Handed) and Printer Interface

selection ARE NOT set using the Command Code. Factory default settings for

these are “Right Handed” and “QCHSP”.

.

7

3. Detailed Operation

The Quick Check

®

200 Series is a complete, self-contained handheld bar code

verifier. The top panel features include a “POWER” button a “SELECT” button

[0], a “SCROLL” [<>] button, a red and a green colored LED and a custom, multi-

function, liquid crystal display (LCD). On the bottom of the instrument is the

Serial Number label as well as two of the three case screws that must be

removed for access to the internal battery. (WARNING: DO NOT attempt to

replace the battery pack without first contacting Hand Held Products’ Service

Department!) A port on the end allows connection to a recharger or optional

printer. The following figures show the unit’s layout.

Figure A

8

Quick Check

®

200 Control Buttons

9

Using the QC200

Before you turn the unit on and select a mode of operation, you should review

the following to learn how to properly scan a bar code with it.

To scan a bar code:

1. Hold the QC200 as you would a pen or pencil. The raised “finger grip

ridges” on each side of the case near the optics/scanning tip are guides for

finger placement.

2. Press the optics tip lightly against the surface to be scanned in the clear

area (quiet zone) on either side of the bar code symbol. To maintain a

proper scanning angle, be sure both the optics tip and the “reflectance

guide” are flat on the surface to be scanned.

3. At about the same speed with which you would quickly underline one of the

sentences in this text, and without interruption, move the QC200 evenly

across the center (or approximate center) of the bar code.

4. Listen for a long beep tone quickly followed by a short beep tone signifying a

good read. Note that a long beep followed by three short beeps indicates an

error condition exists in the symbol scanned.

NOTE: Practice your scanning technique until you can successfully scan each of

the supplied test symbols on each attempt. Some of the supplied test symbols

have “intentional errors” in them to show the user how error conditions are

reported.

Power ON/OFF

The Quick Check

®

200 Series is turned on by pressing the POWER button, to

which it responds by emitting four quick beeps and first displays:

[QC2xx aa/lll]

where “xx” identifies the model number, “aa” is the aperture size designation in

“mils” (one thousandths of an inch) and “lll” is the spectral response or

wavelength of illumination in nanometers. If there are stored print records (and

the unit is connected to a Quick Check

®

AC Charger or Printer interface cable),

the display then changes to:

[BUF xx% Ful>]

or it may read “LOW BATTERY!” or “RECALIBRATE!” if charging or reflectance

calibration is needed.

10

The Quick Check

®

200 Series shuts itself off after about a minute of inactivity.

Alternately, the operator can shut the instrument off by pressing the button for

about two seconds, until it beeps and clears the display.

Reflectance Scale Calibration

The first time you use the unit or charge the battery pack and periodically during

normal operation, the Quick Check

®

200 Series reflectance scale should be

calibrated. Remove the QC200 Reflection Calibration Page (QCRFPG) from the

manual and, with the unit at the proper scanning angle (so it rests on its

“reflectance guide”), CAREFULLY scan the reference target symbol 10 times.

Note that your first scan will yield a “triple” beep (one long, two short) as well as

your tenth scan.

NOTE: TO INSURE MAXIMUM REFLECTANCE-SCALE ACCURACY FOR THE

HIGHEST ACCURACY IN DATA COLLECTION, YOUR QUICK CHECK

PERFORMS A CONSISTENCY TEST WHILE THE TEN CALIBRATION SCANS

ARE MADE. IF, DURING THOSE SCANS, IT DETECTS REFLECTANCE

READINGS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS ONES

RECORDED, IT WILL AGAIN “BEEP” THREE (3) TIMES AND THE LCD WILL

PROMPT YOU TO AGAIN BEGIN THE REFLECTANCE CALIBRATION

PROCEDURE. IF DURING THE MEASUREMENT OF A SAMPLE SYMBOL AN

“XX” or “- -“ IS DISPLAYED OR PRINTED A REFLECTANCE VALUE, AND

OUT OF RANGE READING HAS BEEN MADE. THE UNIT SHOULD BE

RECALIBRATED AND THE SAMPLE SHOULD BE RESCANNED.

Initial Power Up Default Settings

The Quick Check

®

200 Series powers up in whatever operating mode it was last

left in. To facilitate “getting started”, we have programmed the QC200 so that it

will default, the first time it is powered up and calibrated, to the settings listed.

The many possible variations available to the QC200 user will be outlined in later

sections of this guide.

All codes Active (Auto-discrimination)

Those Codes are:

Code 39

Interleaved 2 of 5

EAN/UPC 100% Magnification

Codabar

Code 128

MSI

16K

11

Other Configuration Settings:

“NormalAccur” – Normal Accuracy

“Trad’l P/F” – Traditional Tolerance Testing

“Avg DMargin” – Hand Held Products Averaged Decodability Margin

“Ltr. Grades” – If ANSI is invoked, Letter Grades used

“Right Handed” – LCD Right Hand Orientation

“HS Printer” – Printer Interface set for Hand Held Products QCHSP

An explanation of each of the above default settings can be found in the

CONFIGURATION/PROGRAMMING section.

12

13

4. Configuration/Programming

The Quick Check

®

200 Series auto-recognizes or “autodiscriminates” seven bar

code symbologies - - Codabar, Code 39, Interleaved 2/5, EAN/UPC, Code 128,

MSI Code and Code 16K - - or alternately can check that symbols conform under

any or all of several applications specifications; AIAG, BOOKLAND, CCBBA,

Comp Tia/CTIA, SCC, SISAC, U.P.C.-COUPON CODE, dependent upon the

QC200 Model. The QC200 also has a number of operator selectable test and

configuration options. The QC200 user can program their unit for all of these

options in two distinct ways. One is by simply scanning a specialized Code 128

called a Command Code. Predetermined Command Codes were used in the

QC200 Quick Start section of this manual and are explained in a later section.

The QC200’s options can also be programmed manually.

The “heart” of the operation and manual programming of the Quick Check

®

200

Series is centered around its “Select” and “Scroll” buttons. All functions with the

QC200 are controlled by their use. Generally, pressing the Select [0] Button

moves the user from menu “level” to menu “level”. Pressing of the Scroll [<>]

Button allows the user to pick an option within these levels. At the end of the

manual are menu “flow charts” of the QC200 menu sequences. An explanation

of what programmable selections are available follows.

Codes/Symbology Options

The Quick Check

®

200 Series symbology selection configuration is set and

controlled from within the QC200’s programming menu structure, this is entered

after power up by pressing the Select [0] Button two times as demonstrated

through the next steps:

On power up, [Qc2xx aa/lll] is displayed.

If you press the Scroll [<>] Button the results of the last scan is displayed (the

QC200 always stores the last sample scan). If you press the Select [0] Button

the following is displayed:

[Reflectom’r>]

This is the QC200’s static Reflectometer option, which is described later in this

manual. Pressing the Select [0] Button again bypasses this and changes the

LCD to:

14

[- Specs - >]

The “>” indicates to the user that pressing the Scroll [<>] Button will allow them to

select between the different code “specifications” (generic symbologies vs.

applications) preprogrammed into the QC200. If you press Scroll [<>] here, you

are put into the “Codes” (generic symbologies) mode with a resulting LCD of:

[ - Codes - >]

Here you will be allowed to make certain modifications in the testing criteria used

for the generic symbologies. These choices are also accepted or by-passed

using the Select [0] and Scroll [<>] buttons. Pressing Select [0] will bring up the

first set of options:

Codabar Options displayed on the LCD are:

[USS – Codabr>] or [Trad Codabr>]

This choice is between the original constant character width Codabar font (with

Monarch’s original print tolerances applied) and the compatible “rationalized” font

described in AIM’s USS – Codabar specification (with the appropriate USS

tolerances applied). NOTE: An “x” shown during Codabar decoding indicates a

missing stop/start character.

Code 39 Options displayed on the LCD are:

[Cod39 no Ck>] or [Code39 w/Ck>]

This choice is whether to test for Code 39’s optional Mod 43 Check Character

(see AIM USS for Code 39).

Interleaved 2/5 Options displayed on the LCD are:

[Int25 no Ck>] or [Int25 w/Ck>]

This choice is again whether to test for an optional Interleaved 2/5 Mod Check

Character.

UPC/EAN/JAN Options displayed on the LCD are:

[UPC/EAN x.x>] where “x.x” represents a UPC/EAN magnification factor.

The possible choices are .80, .85, .90, .95, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 or 2.0 and are

cycled through by repeatedly pressing the Scroll [<>] Button. The default setting

is 1.0 or 100%.

Code 128 Options displayed on the LCD are:

[Cd128 Modes>] or [Cd128 Messg>]

This choice is whether or not to have Special Extra Characters displayed and

printed within the encoded message that show Code 128’s Starting Mode, Mode

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Hand Held Products Quick Check 200 Series User manual

Hand Held Products Quick Check 200 Series User manual

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